JP4359450B2 - Turbine fuel pump impeller - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to turbine fuel pumps, and more particularly to turbine fuel pumps used in automotive fuel supply systems.
[0002]
[Background]
Electric motor driven turbine fluid pumps are customarily used in fuel systems such as automobiles. These pumps typically have an outer sleeve that surrounds and supports each other and the inner housing is configured to immerse in a fuel supply tank. The pump has an inlet for drawing fuel from the tank and an outlet for sending pressurized fuel to the internal combustion engine. A shaft extending under the electric motor is connected to and drives the disc-shaped pump impeller. The impeller has a series of vanes arranged circumferentially near its outer edge. An arc pump channel formed in the inner housing generally surrounds the outer edge of the impeller and extends from the inlet hole to the opposite outlet hole. Liquid fuel is supplied into a pocket formed between the adjacent vane of the impeller and the surrounding channel, and the fuel is pressurized by vortex action by the three-dimensional shape of the vane and the rotation of the impeller.
[0003]
The vane of the impeller of the turbine pump has a three-dimensional outline or shape that allows a wide range of variations. This shape depends on the type of disk impeller used and the surrounding pump housing. For example, an impeller vane of a fuel pump generally extends radially outward in a flat straight line. Another impeller vane is flat and straight and inclined with respect to the radial direction of the impeller. In yet another vane design, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,363 issued to Talaski on September 5, 2000, the vane is inclined and the impeller rotates in the direction of rotation. The tip is positioned behind its base, and the vanes are generally arcuate along the axial and radial directions and extend outward. The US patent publication is cited here.
[0004]
Generally, there are two types of disc-shaped pump impellers, and the outer shape of the impeller vane is fixed. They are generally called guide ring type or hoop type.
[0005]
Guide ring pumps are used with fixed guide rings that are rigidly attached to the pump housing. The guide ring diverts the fuel flow from the vertical inlet hole, guides the fuel through a generally horizontal arcuate or circular channel, sucks up the fuel from the moving impeller vanes in the circular channel and turns it Extrude fuel into a generally vertical outlet hole. The arcuate channel extends near the periphery of the guide ring impeller and ranges from about 270 ° to 330 ° between the inlet and outlet holes and is formed by a guide ring radially outwardly, It is formed inside by the outer edge of the impeller. In a vane such as that described in the aforementioned US Pat. No. 6,113,363, the free end or tip of the vane extends laterally into the channel, approximately radially outward from the impeller. The strip portion of the guide ring is radially opposed to the channel and faces circumferentially between the inlet and outlet ports. As the impeller rotates, the moving tip of the vane rubs closely against the stripper portion of the guide, sucking up pressurized fuel from the impeller and redirecting the fuel from its channel to the outlet port. The stripper portion is configured to close the vane tip to prevent pressurized fuel from leaking into the low pressure inlet port. This stripping function between the guide ring and the impeller vane tip requires high-cost production accuracy, slides over time, lowers pump efficiency, and requires more parts for production and maintenance Cost can be increased.
[0006]
Hoop type impellers include, for example, US Patent Application No. 2002 / 0021961-A1 published by Pickelman et al. On February 21, 2002, and US Patent No. 2002 issued by Dr. Dobler on September 15, 1998. As described in Japanese Patent No. 5807068, it has a peripheral hoop (band) integrated with the impeller. These two publications are cited here. This hoop engages and is supported by the annular row radial outer end of the impeller vane. Impeller pockets are formed circumferentially between adjacent vanes and lead into upper and lower grooves formed in the pump housing. In the impeller loop design, the impeller pocket and the channel communicate in the axial or lateral direction. Unfortunately, the known three-dimensional vane profile of the hoop impeller is limited and the overall efficiency of the pump is relatively low.
[0007]
The overall efficiency of a known turbine fuel pump is about 35-45%, and the efficiency of such an electric motor turbine fuel pump is about 16- It is between 22%. In addition, the high flow rates and pressures required by automotive fuel pumps exceed the capabilities of a typical 36mm to 39mm diameter regenerative turbine pump. In order to increase fuel output and pressure, the pump must be operated at higher speeds. However, this can cause cavitation and requires continued development. That is, there is still a need to improve the design and structure of such fuel pump impellers for increased efficiency.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
One object of the present invention is to provide a turbine fluid pump impeller to improve pump efficiency, increase emissions without additional components, and improve high temperature fuel performance.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Summary of the Invention
The aforementioned problems of the prior art fluid pump are solved by the turbine fluid pump impeller of the present invention. The pump, in one embodiment, has a circular hub, a ring-shaped band, and a ring-shaped vane row. The hub outer surface of the hub generally extends from its inner annular portion, the vane row having a plurality of vanes and vane pockets, the vane pockets being generally formed between the vanes. Each vane includes (i) a straight base extending in the first direction and (ii) a curved tip, and a tangent of the curved tip extends in the second direction. The first direction has a larger angle with respect to the direction of rotation of the impeller than the second direction.
[0010]
In another embodiment, the turbine fluid pump impeller also has a circular hub, a ring shaped band, and a ring shaped vane row. However, each vane comprises (i) a generally V-shaped top and bottom half, (ii) a base extending in the first direction, and (iii) a tip extending in the second direction. The point where the tip portion is coupled to the inner ring surface is later in the rotation direction of the impeller than the point where the base portion is coupled to the outer surface of the hub.
[0011]
In yet another embodiment, a single-stage, multi-vane turbine fluid pump impeller that includes a circular hub, a ring-shaped inner vane row, a ring-shaped intermediate band, a ring-shaped outer vane row, A ring-shaped outer belt ring. Each of the hub and the intermediate band has an annular projecting portion. The hub, inner vane row, middle band, outer vane row, and outer band are generally concentric. The inner vane row is disposed between the hub and the intermediate band in the radial direction, and the outer vane row is disposed between the intermediate and the outer ring in the radial direction. Each of the overhangs of the hub and the intermediate belt ring is partially extended in radially adjacent vane pockets to form upper and lower vane pockets, and fluid is transferred into one vane pocket. Do not get out of the way, and lead to other vane pockets.
[0012]
In yet another embodiment, a turbine fuel pump assembly having an impeller of the present invention for use in an automotive fuel supply system is provided.
[0013]
The objectives, features, and advantages of this invention are to provide a turbine fluid pump impeller, improve pump efficiency, increase emissions without additional components, improve high temperature fuel performance, and more easily manufactured than multi-stage pumps Yes, with flat performance with respect to pressure and voltage, multi-step, with little or no significant cost and complexity increase. Furthermore, the current design is relatively simple and economical to manufacture, and the useful life is significantly increased.
[0014]
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an example of a turbine fuel pump assembly 30 using the impeller of the present invention. Preferably, the impeller is rotated and driven around a rotating shaft 34 by an electric motor 36. The pump assembly 30 can be used for pumping various fluids, but is preferably used for the purposes described and used in an automotive fuel supply system, the pump assembly being a vehicle fuel having an internal combustion engine (not shown). Typically mounted in a tank. The outer housing or sleeve 38 of the pump assembly 30 supports the electric motor 36 and the pump portion 32 in an upright position. In use, the rotary shaft 34 extends in a substantially vertical direction with respect to the pump portion 32 located below the electric motor 36.
[0016]
The pump unit 32 includes an upper casing 42 and a lower casing 44, which are surrounded and supported by an outer housing 38 from the outside. The upper casing 42 and the lower casing 44 are arranged substantially concentrically, an impeller cavity 46 is formed between them, and an impeller 48 according to the present invention that rotates about the rotating shaft 34 is held there. The rotor (not shown), the integral shaft 35 of the motor, and the impeller rotate concentrically around the rotation shaft 34. The shaft 35 protrudes downward through the upper casing 42 and is fixed to the impeller. The shaft 35 extends further and is supported by a bearing 49 in the inner bore 51 in the lower casing.
[0017]
A fuel inlet passage 50 is provided generally axially through the lower casing 44 through which low pressure fuel flows from a fuel reservoir or surrounding fuel tank (not shown) to the impeller cavity 46. Similarly, the upper casing 42 holds a fuel outlet passage 52 (shown in phantom) through which pressurized fuel flows out of the impeller cavity 46 in an axial direction. Inner and outer annular vane rows 56A and 56B of impeller 48 pressurize fuel through annularly extending inner and outer pump chambers 54A and 54B. The inner and outer pump chambers 54 </ b> A and 54 </ b> B are mainly disposed between the upper casing 42 and the lower casing 44. The inner and outer annular vane rows 56A and 56B are each radially aligned with each of the inner and outer pump chambers 54A and 54B, and as clearly shown in FIG. 3, the inner and outer pump chambers 54A. , 54B extend in an angular range of about 300 ° to 350 °, and in each case, an angular range smaller than 360 °. The inner and outer pump chambers 54A and 54B extend from the fuel inlet passage 50 to the fuel outlet passage 52 (not shown in FIG. 3) around the rotation shaft 34. There is generally no cross flow of fluid between the inner and outer pump chambers 54A, 54B, only a small amount, if any, of the limited fluid between the pump chambers to function as a moving surface lubricant It is desirable to have cross-circulation.
[0018]
Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the inner and outer pump chambers 54A, 54B have upper grooves 58A, 58B, lower grooves 62A, 62B, and vane pockets 60A, 60B, respectively. The upper grooves 58A and 58B are formed in the bottom surface 59 of the upper casing 42, the lower grooves 62A and 62B are formed in the top surface 69 of the lower casing 44, and the vane pockets 60A and 60B are formed between the vanes of the impeller. It is in circulation with both of the lower grooves. In other words, the annularly extending inner pump chamber 54A has 58A formed in the upper casing 42, a vane pocket 60A formed in the impeller 48, and 62A formed in the lower casing 44. They circulate with each other, have a radial center, and extend together in an annular shape. In this particular example, the upper and lower grooves 58A, 62A are symmetrical in shape and size, but an asymmetric design is also possible. The foregoing description of the inner pump chamber 54A is equally applicable to the outer pump chamber 54B, the outer pump chamber 54B having an upper groove 58B, a vane pocket 60B and a lower groove 62B, the diameter of the inner radial pump chamber. Located outside in the direction. The outer pump chamber 54B shown in FIG. 2 has a transverse shape larger than that of the inner pump chamber 54A. The different dimensions of the two pump chambers increase the efficiency of the impeller. This is because inner pump chamber 54A moves with a lower tangential velocity and higher pressure coefficient than outer pump chamber 54B (because the inner pump chamber has a smaller radius and a shorter circumferential length). In order to reduce leakage and return of the inner pump chamber and maximize output flow, the inner pump chamber 54A needs to have a smaller cross-sectional area compared to the outer pump chamber 54B, both of which have the same rotational speed. It moves with. However, reducing the cross-sectional area of the inner pump chamber is coordinated to minimize leakage in that chamber and maximize output flow.
[0019]
The upper and lower grooves 58A, 58B and the lower grooves 62A, 62B are concentric arcuate grooves, extend in the circumferential direction on the surfaces of the upper and lower casings, and open to the impeller cavity 46. Preferably, these grooves have an elliptical cross-sectional shape and not the general semi-circular cross-sectional shape of prior art pumps. For clarity, the following description of the groove shape refers specifically to one of the grooves, but applies to the remaining grooves as well. The elliptical cross-sectional shape of the groove has a first arc portion 63, a linear or flat portion 64, and a second arc portion 65, and reduces the residence area where the fuel does not stop and flow in the pump chamber, thereby improving pump efficiency. Can be raised. This stagnant zone sometimes occurs in a semicircular cross-sectional groove where the groove is too deep, causing the fuel to accumulate at the bottom of the groove and stay there, so that portion of the fuel does not flow through the pump chamber. The two first arc portions 63 and the second arc portion 65 are arc-shaped portions of grooves, and have the same radius (r ₁ , R ₂ Or a different radius. Similarly, the groove of the first portion may be uniform even if the cross section is changed, and the length in each radial direction may be changed. In the preferred embodiment, the flat portion 64 is between 0.25 and 1.00 mm long. The central flat portion 64 causes the center C ₁ , C ₂ Is the radius r ₁ , R ₂ Corresponding to a certain distance away. This distance can be varied to suit the specific requirements of the pump and is a function of the other dimensions of the groove. For example, either the length of the flat portion 64 or the distance between the centers is the length r. ₁ And / or r ₂ It is determined as a function of Since the upper grooves 58A and 58B and the lower grooves 62A and 62B are formed in the upper casing 42 and the lower casing 44, the upper grooves 58A and 58B are stationary during operation, but act on the circulating vane pockets. This will be described in detail next.
[0020]
The vane pockets 60A and 60B are part of the impeller 48, and are formed between adjacent vanes of the inner and outer vane rows 56A and 56B, respectively. The vane pockets 60A and 60B are open at the upper and lower ends thereof, which are opposed surfaces 59 and 69, and communicate with the upper and lower grooves. Further, the inner vane pocket has a surface 66A, and the outer vane pocket has a surface 66B, each of which is located radially inward of the vane pocket and has an overhang or rib 92A, 92B in the circumferential direction. Have each. Each vane pocket has a surface 67A or a surface 67B, which are flat and located radially outward of the vane pocket. The surfaces 66A and 66B are partly divided by the ribs 92A and 92B, and the curved portions 73A and 73B are formed on the upper half in the upper axial direction of the surfaces 66A and 66B. It is formed in half of the direction. The inner pump chamber 54A has a vane pocket 60A, and the vane pocket 60A has a surface 66A having ribs 92A. The overhanging portion separates the surface 66A, and upper and lower curved portions 73A and 75A are formed. The curved surface may be arc-shaped, and preferably has the same curvature as the first arc portion 63 of the corresponding groove. Accordingly, the curved portions 73A and 75A extend from the rib 92A toward the upper side and the lower side, respectively, and extend to a small gap separating the groove and the vane pocket. The curved portions 73A and 75A are effectively continuous with the first arc portions 63 of the grooves 58A and 62A to form a larger combined arc shape and extend from the projecting portion to the flat portion 64. Of course, other pump chamber arrangements may be employed, for example, the radial length of the groove may be longer than the corresponding vane pocket.
[0021]
3 and 4 are perspective views of the lower casing 44. In the perspective view, lower grooves 62A and 62B are formed in the top surface 69, which is illustrated. Similarly, FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the upper casing 42, in which the upper grooves 58 </ b> A and 58 </ b> B formed in the bottom surface 59 are illustrated.
[0022]
The foregoing description of the pump assembly 30 is intended to illustrate a fluid pump of the type in which the impeller of the present invention is used, as well as its main elements. Accordingly, the impellers of the present invention can be used in many other turbine fluid pumps, and their application is not limited to the pump assembly 30 described and illustrated herein. Turning to FIGS. 7 and 8, the impeller of the present invention will be described in more detail.
[0023]
The impeller 48 of the present invention rotates around the rotation shaft 34 in the direction indicated by the arrow 102. The impeller 48 is generally disc-shaped and has a top surface 77 that directly faces the bottom surface 59 of the upper casing and a bottom surface 79 that directly faces the top surface 69 of the lower casing. In order to prevent or minimize cross flow between the inner and outer pump chambers 54A, 54B, and generally to prevent fuel leakage, the top surface 77 seals the bottom surface 59 and the bottom surface 79 seals the top surface 69. It is in. The circular hub 70 of the impeller 48 has a key hole 71 through which the shaft 35 extends, and both the shaft and the impeller rotate about the rotation axis 34. The circular hub 70 extends radially outward toward the inner annular vane row 56A. An intermediate band 72 is disposed between the inner and outer annular vane rows 56A and 56B in the radial direction. An outer belt ring 74 is disposed radially outward from the outer annular vane row 56B. The circular hub 70 forms a radially outer annular edge with an outwardly facing surface 66A. Surface 66A has been previously described with respect to FIG. From this surface, which is previously described as hub outer surface 66A, a plurality of vanes extend generally radially outward.
[0024]
Referring to FIG. 9, the inner annular vane row 56A has a number of each vane 78A, each vane extending radially outward from surface 66A to surface 67A, which has already been described in connection with FIG. Yes. For clarity, the surface 67A will now be referred to as the inner median ring surface 67A. The intermediate belt ring 72 has an intermediate ring surface 67A in the radial direction. Similarly, the outward surface 66B is referred to herein as the outer ring surface 66B. Each 78B of the outer annular vane row 56B protrudes radially outward from the surface 66B toward the surface 67B. The outer belt ring 74 is located at the outer edge of the impeller and is formed in the radial direction between the surface of the impeller and the peripheral edge 86. Specifically, the faces 66A, 67A, faces 66B, 67B shown in FIG. 9 are the same as those shown in FIG. 2, and they have already been described. The perimeter 86 is directly opposite the annular shoulder 87 that extends below the upper casing 42, as clearly shown in FIG. The previous annular surface of the annular shoulder 87 is in sealing engagement with the top surface 69 of the lower casing 44.
[0025]
Each vane 78A in the inner annular vane row 56A and each vane 78B in the outer annular vane row 56B extend radially in the impeller 48 in a radial direction to increase the pump efficiency of the impeller. The vane will be described with reference to several figures. These figures look at the vane from different angles and illustrate the main points of the various positions of the vane and / or impeller.
[0026]
10 is an enlarged view of the inner vane row 56A, and the following description is also applied to the outer vane row 56B unless otherwise specified. Each vane has a base 88 that projects substantially linearly outwardly from the hub outer surface 66A, as indicated by line 134. The line 134, that is, the base 66 extends with respect to the impeller rotation direction 102 slightly behind or in the following direction with respect to the impeller diameter 144. In this view, line 134 extends through point 114 along the leading surface of the vane. However, if the line 134 is parallel to the vane surface, it is easily drawn along the vane following side or through the center of the vane. Similarly, impeller radius 144 is pulled through point 114. The tracking surface of the straight base 88 forms an angle ψ, which is defined by the angle between the line 134 and the impeller radius 144. Of course, the impeller radius passes through the center of the impeller. The angle ψ is preferably in the range of 2 ° to 20 °, more preferably in the range of 5 ° to 15 °, and optimally about 10 °. The tip 90 of each vane extends continuously from the outermost part of the base 88 to the intermediate ring surface 67A. As shown in the figure, the tip 90 is somewhat bent and concave with respect to the direction of rotation 102. That is, when the impeller rotates in the direction 102, the tip 90 forms a pocket in which the straight base and the curved tip capture fuel. Preferably, the tip 90 has a virtual radius r _Three With an imaginary radius in the range of 1.00 mm to 5.00 mm, more preferably in the range of 2.25 mm to 3.25 mm for the inner vane row 56A, and the outer vane row 56B is in the range of 2.75 mm to 3.75 mm. Since the distal end portion 90 protrudes substantially radially outward from the distal end of the base portion 88 (the distal end of the base portion 88 is behind or following the vane), the distal end portion 90 is slightly smaller than the straight base portion with respect to the impeller rotation direction 102. Protrusively forward. This advanced arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 10 as an angle θ, which indicates the angle between the retreat line 134 extending along the leading surface of the base 88 and the advance line 140, where The advance line 140 is a tangent at a point on the leading surface of the tip 90. Since the direction of the tangent line 140 depends on the leading surface of the tip portion and the specific point, the angle θ varies depending on the length of the tip portion 90 in the radial direction. The angle θ is in the range of 0 ° to 50 °, preferably 15 ° to 35 °, and optimally about 28 °. In this case, the forward line 140 is a tangent to the outermost end in the radial direction of the tip (the point is close to the intersection where the tip crosses the surface 67A). The advance tip angle θ increases pump efficiency. This is because the forward speed when the fuel leaves the impeller 48 is greater than the tangential speed of the impeller. Although the angle is not specified in the drawing, the advance line 140 extends in a direction advanced from the impeller radius line 144 with respect to the rotational direction 102. Similar to the angle θ, the angle varies over the length of the tip 90 in the radial direction and depends on the specific point for the tangent of the bent tip leading surface. For example, the tangent of the radially innermost point of the distal end portion 90 has an angle different from the tangent of the radially outermost point of the distal end portion 90. The range of angles between the tangent line 140 and the impeller radius line 144 is in the range of 0 ° to 30 °, desirably between 10 ° and 25 °, preferably about 18 °. In this case, the forward line 140 is a tangent at the point of the radially outermost end of the tip. Further, the base and tip are preferably of the same length in the radial direction, in other words, in the preferred embodiment, the radial distance from surface 66A to the end of base 88 is from the inner end of tip 90 to surface 67A. Is approximately equal to the radial distance to
[0027]
The advance distance in the circumferential direction of the distal end portion 90 is generally not equal to the circumferential retract distance of the base portion 88. In other words, the entire length of the vane in the radial direction between the surface 66A and the surface 67A is slightly inclined with respect to the impeller rotation direction. In other words, the radially innermost point 114 of the vane leading surface is advanced with respect to the rotational direction relative to the radially outermost point 142 of the vane leading surface. This retraction or tracking arrangement is represented by an angle β and represents the angular difference between the impeller radius line 144 and the straight line 146. The straight line 146 is a line connecting the point 114 and the radially outermost point 142. There is a singular point between the point 114 and the radially outermost point 142. The angle β is in the range of 0 ° to 10 °, desirably in the range of 0 ° to 5 °, and preferably about 2 °.
[0028]
Each of the upper and lower grooves 58A, 58B and 62A, 62B and the corresponding concave portions 73A, 73B and curved portions 75A, 75B together form a generally independent spiral fuel flow. However, each of the upper grooves 58A and 58B communicates with the lower grooves 62A and 62B through an open vane pocket formed between adjacent vanes. Each vane pocket 60A in the inner vane row is formed between the adjacent vanes 78A in the radial direction between the surfaces 66A, 67A. The vane pockets 60A and 60B communicate with the upper grooves 58A and 58B and the lower grooves 62A and 62B in the lateral direction or the axially outward direction. With this open pocket configuration, fuel flows from the fuel inlet channel 50 through the lower groove to each upper groove. Similarly, this allows fuel to flow from the lower groove through each upper groove and into the fuel outlet passage 52.
[0029]
For clarity and clarity, this paragraph describes only the vanes in the inner vane row, and the vane rows in the outer vane row are nearly identical unless otherwise noted. Referring to FIGS. 11 to 13, particularly focusing on FIG. 13, the virtual plane including the rib 92 </ b> A extends along the leading cross line 106 of the leading concave surface 108 of the vane and to the tracking cross line 110 of the tracking convex surface 112 of the vane. Along with this, the V-shaped vane 78 A is divided into an upper half 100 and a lower half 104. The leading concave surface 108 of the vane faces the following convex surface of the adjacent vane 78A. The upper half 100 and the lower half 104 of the vane 78A are inclined forward with respect to the rotation direction of the impeller. That is, they generally extend from a virtual surface including the rib 92A to each of the virtual surfaces including the top surface and the bottom surfaces 77 and 79 of the impeller. The inclination of the upper half 100 is substantially mirror-symmetric with the inclination of the lower half 104. That is, they are preferably in a symmetrical relationship. Its tilt angle is greater than 0 °, increasing pump efficiency at low voltage. The vane front slope facilitates fuel entry into the vane pocket 60A, creating a spiral flow trajectory for the fuel as seen in FIG. In other words, the fuel is pressurized as it flows in the inner and outer pump chambers 54A, 54B due to the mechanical rotation of the impeller 48 and the characteristics of the spiral flow of the fuel. The shape of the fuel flow is generated by each annular vane row 56A, 56B, and the fuel repeatedly enters and leaves the upper grooves 58A, 58B and the lower grooves 62A, 62B.
[0030]
During the manufacture of the impeller 48, it is necessary to rotate the impeller away from the mold. The inclination angle α (R) of the vane base 88 is equal to or slightly smaller than the inclination angle α (T) of the tip 90 (ie, more axially). The tilt angles α (R), α (T) can be measured from the leading or following side of the vane (since they are parallel). Preferably, the inclination angle α of the inner vane row gradually increases from the base 88 toward the tip 90 and is in the range of 10 ° to 50 °, desirably 20 ° to 40 °, preferably the diameter of the base. The innermost point in the direction is about 25 °, and the outermost point in the radial direction of the tip is about 35 °. The outer vane row has a similar relationship, which is in the range of 15 ° to 55 °, preferably 20 ° to 45 °, preferably about 30 ° at the radially innermost point of the base, and the diameter of the tip. The outermost point in the direction is about 40 °. Therefore, the inclination angle of the base portion and the inclination angle of the distal end portion have the following relationship for the inner and outer vane rows.
10 ° ≦ α (R) ≦ α (T) ≦ 55 °
The inclination angle α (R) of the base is an angle between the vertical or axis reference line 113 parallel to the rotation axis 34 and the inclination line 116 along the leading surface at the base 88. As described above, each of the upper half 100 and the lower half 104 of the vane has the parallel leading concave surface 108 and the tracking convex surface 112. That is, the vane has a uniform thickness in the circumferential direction. Thus, the inclined line 116 is along the following surface in the same manner. The reference line 113 and the inclined line 116 intersect each other, and the intersection is above the leading surface of the vane and the radius of the radius line 144 (not shown in FIGS. 11 to 13). Further, the radially innermost ends of the preceding cross line 106 and the follow cross line 110 are continuous with the rib 92A as clearly shown in FIGS.
[0031]
The tip inclination angle α (T) is an angle between a vertical or axial reference line 122 that is parallel to both the rotation axes 34 and 113 and the inclination line 124. The inclined line 124 is preferably along the leading concave surface 108 of the vane in the region of the tip 90. As described above, the inclined line 113 may also be along the following convex surface 112 of the vane.
[0032]
Further, the inclination angles α (R) and α (T) of the vanes in the inner annular vane row 56A are smaller than the inclination angles of the vanes in the outer annular vane row 56B. This is particularly convenient because of the difference in tilt angle, the impeller can be removed simply by rotating the mold during fabrication. This tilt angle arrangement does not sacrifice pump performance. This is because the vanes in the inner annular vane row 56A can operate at a higher pressure rate, require a smaller tilt angle than the vanes in the outer annular vane row 56B, and optimize performance.
[0033]
As described above, the base 88 extends radially outward in the direction of following or following the radial direction of the radial line 144 from the hub outer surface 66A. The leading cross line 106 that divides the upper half 100 and the lower half 104 of the vane has a radially inner portion extending in the rearward or following direction with respect to the rotational direction 102 with respect to the radial line 144. The radially inner portion of the preceding cross line 106 is a portion that linearly extends from the rib 92A to the radially outer end of the base portion. The leading cross line 106 also has a radially outer portion that extends in the forward curve direction, like the tip portion 90. The radially outer portion is a portion of the preceding cross line 106 connected from the radially inner portion, and extends outward from the inner surface 67A. In other words, the leading cross line 106 includes a radially inner portion that linearly extends to the rear side that is the portion of the base portion 88, and a radially outer portion that extends in the curved direction to the front side that is the portion of the tip portion 90. Yes. As described above, this pocket shape or cup-shaped vane configuration, taking into account radial and axial directions, promotes pump efficiency.
[0034]
As shown in FIG. 13 and as described above, each upper half 100 and lower half 104 of each vane 78A has a receding angle γ, which is preferably the opposite front slope angle α (R ) And α (T). Therefore, the vane has a uniform thickness in the circumferential direction, and facilitates the operation of opening the impeller after the casting process. However, it is also possible for the receding angle γ to be greater than the corresponding front side angle (“corresponding” means that that portion of the leading concave surface 108 is the same in the radial position of the vane). Thus, the front and rear surfaces of the vane terminate with each other as they approach the vane axial wall or end. Therefore, since the minimum value of α (R) is 10 ° and α (T) is equal to or greater than α (R), the minimum value of γ is about 10 ° over the entire radial length of the vane. is there.
[0035]
Each vane also has two arcs 120, 130 along the edge between the following convex surface 112 and the adjacent upper and lower side walls 121, 131. Side wall 131 is the finger-like surface of the vane, as shown clearly in FIG. 10, generally in the same plane as the bottom surface of the impeller and opposite the top surface 69 of the lower casing. Similarly, the side wall 121 (not shown in FIG. 10) is located on the other finger-like surface of the vane on the opposite side of the impeller in the axial direction and generally in the same plane as the top surface 77 of the impeller, This is opposed to the bottom surface 59 of the. The arc portion 120 is a uniform round surface, extends over the entire radial length of the vane, and includes a portion of the base portion 88 and a portion of the tip portion 90. Constructing the arc portion as a round surface having a specific radius of curvature (0.7 mm in the preferred embodiment) contributes to aligning the direction of the fuel flowing into the follower surface of the vane, leading to cavitation and undesirable steam generation. Reduce to improve pump efficiency. The receding angle γ and the circular arc portion 120 are selected so as to match the direction of the fuel flow (indicated by an arrow in FIG. 13) as much as possible when the fuel flow enters the vane pocket 60A. Experiments have shown that the round shape of the impeller of the present invention is preferable to the flat chamber used in this field.
[0036]
Of course, each impeller element, especially straight base, curved tip, circumferential overhang, vane pocket, vane upper half, vane lower half, leading cross line, following cross line, circular arc part, and all inclination angles The above description regarding reference lines, virtual surfaces, etc., and their related matters applies equally to the outer annular vane row 56B unless otherwise noted. Further, the above description is not limited to the double-row impeller, but can be similarly applied to vanes in any number of rows as long as it is practical as one, three, four, or impeller. An example of an embodiment of an impeller according to the present invention, which is only a single vane row, is illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16, where like numerals refer to like elements.
[0037]
In the operating state, the fuel flows into the pump unit 32 through the common fuel fuel inlet passage 50 by the rotation of the impeller. The fuel inlet passage 50 is held by the lower casing 44 and communicates with the lower grooves 62A and 62B. The fuel is thrust into a spiral fuel flow and pressurized in the independent inner and outer pump chambers 54A and 54B by the mechanical rotation of the impeller 48. The spiral fuel flow is generated by the inner and outer annular vane rows 56A and 56B acting on the fuel independently of each other as clearly shown in FIG. When the fuel reaches the circumferential end of the pump chamber, the pressurized fuel exits the pump section 32 through a fuel outlet passage 52 that communicates with the upper grooves 58A, 58B (not shown). When mounted in a vehicle, the fuel outlet passage 52 supplies pressurized fuel to a conduit or other element of the vehicle's fuel supply system from which fuel is delivered to the internal combustion engine.
[0038]
In another embodiment shown in FIG. 17, a turbine fuel pump assembly 30 "is illustrated, where the outer guide ring of the impeller in the previous embodiment is removed and a stationary guide ring well known in the art. 180. The guide ring 180 is not integral with the impeller and therefore does not rotate with the impeller.The guide ring 180 provides a suction (not shown) that separates fuel from the open end or tip of the vanes of the outer annular vane row. In other words, the outer circumferential pump chamber 54B "is positioned along the outermost edge of the impeller, and the outermost vane pockets 60B" communicate with each other both axially and radially. So it is sometimes called "peripheral vane technology".
[0039]
Thus, the turbine fuel pump assembly provided by the present invention achieves the objectives and conveniences described herein. Of course, it will be understood that the foregoing description is of the preferred embodiment of the invention and is not limiting of the invention. Obviously, various modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art and these variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of this invention.
[0040]
【The invention's effect】
A turbine fuel pump assembly according to the present invention is provided which improves pump efficiency, increases emissions without additional components, improves high temperature fuel performance, is easier to manufacture than multi-stage pumps, and has flat performance with respect to pressure and voltage There is no significant cost and complexity increase due to multi-steps, and little if any. Furthermore, the current design is relatively simple and economical to manufacture, and the useful life is significantly increased.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example of a turbine fuel pump assembly that may use the impeller of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the inner and outer pump chambers shown in FIG.
3 is a perspective view of the lower casing of the turbine fuel pump assembly shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lower casing of the turbine fuel pump assembly shown in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the upper casing of the turbine fuel pump assembly shown in FIG.
6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper casing of the turbine fuel pump assembly shown in FIG.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an impeller according to the present invention, partially removed and showing the interior in detail.
FIG. 8 is a top view of the impeller shown in FIG.
9 is a partial perspective view of the impeller shown in FIG. 7. FIG.
10 is an enlarged partial bottom view of the impeller shown in FIG.
FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of the impeller shown in FIG. 7, viewed radially inward and partially removed to show internal details of the leading surface of the vane. The
12 is a partial perspective view of the impeller shown in FIG. 7, viewed radially inward, and partially removed to show internal details of the vane tracking surface. FIG.
13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the impeller shown in FIG. 7, as viewed radially inward.
FIG. 14 is a partial perspective view of the impeller and pump chamber, viewed radially inward and partially removed to illustrate the spiral flow trajectory of the fuel.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an impeller according to the present invention, having a single vane row, partially removed and showing the interior in detail.
16 is a top view of the impeller shown in FIG.
FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example of a turbine fuel pump assembly using a third embodiment of the impeller of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
30, 30 "pump assembly
32 Pump part
34 Rotating shaft
35 shaft
36 Electric motor
38 Outer housing
42 Upper casing
44 Lower casing
46 Impeller cavity
48 impeller
49 Bearing
50 Fuel inlet passage
52 Fuel outlet
54A Inner pump chamber
54B Outer pump chamber
56A Inner annular vane row
56B Outer annular vane row
59 Bottom
60A, 60B vane pocket
63 First arc part
64 flat part
65 Second arc part
69 Top surface
70 round hub
72 Middle belt ring
73A, 73B, 75A, 75B Curve
74 Outer belt
77 Top view
78A, 78B vane
79 Bottom
88 base
90 Tip
92A, 92B rib
102 arrow
106 Leading intersection line
108 Leading concave
110 Tracking crossover line
112 Convex convex surface
120, 130 Arc part
121, 131 side wall
134 Retreat line
140 forward line
144 radius line
152 Part 1
156 Second part
160 Flange
162 Third part
180 Guide ring

Claims (46)

A turbine fluid pump impeller,
Have provided a circular hub having a hub outer surface of the hub extends around its outer periphery,
Have provided a ring shaped band wheel has an inner ring surface belt-wheel extending around its inner periphery,
Have include a plurality of ring-shaped vane array, the hub and the band wheel and said vane row is substantially concentric, at least one of the vane array is positioned radially between the hub and the band wheel, The vane row has a plurality of vanes and a plurality of vane pockets , and the vane pockets are formed between the adjacent vanes; and
Each of the plurality of vanes, 1) the linear base from the hub outer surface extending in a first direction, 2) have a curved tip portion extending inner wheel surface from the outer end of the base portion, the curve tip tangent parts extend in the second direction, and said one direction relative to said second direction, with respect to the rotation direction of the impeller, the <br/> that it is an angle θ in the rear The above-described impeller. 2. The impeller according to claim 1, wherein the tangent of the curve tip is a tangent of a radially outermost point of a leading surface of the curve tip, and the angle θ is in a range of 15 ° to 35 °. The terms first direction rotation direction before hearing Npera, in the rear, it is the angle [psi, the impeller of claim 1, wherein the angle in the range of 15 ° from 5 °. With respect to the rotational direction of the second direction before heard Npera, in the front side, an angle, the angle is in the range from 10 ° to 25 °, the tangent line of the curved tip the curved distal portion The impeller according to claim 1, wherein the impeller is a tangent at a radially outermost point of the preceding surface. The point where the leading surface of the tip portion is coupled to the inner ring surface is behind the point where the leading surface of the base portion is coupled to the outer surface of the hub with respect to the rotation direction of the impeller, and forms an angle β. The impeller according to claim 1, wherein the angle is in the range of 0 ° to 5 °. The impeller according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the hub has a generally annular bulge, and the inner ring surface is generally flat. The overhanging portion forms upper and lower recesses in each of the vane pockets, and each of the upper and lower recesses includes an upper groove formed in the upper casing, and a lower groove formed in the lower casing. The impeller according to claim 6, acting with each of the above. Each of the upper and upper grooves has a cross-sectional shape having first and second radial portions, and the first and second radial portions are arc-shaped and connected to each other via a flat portion. Item 7. The impeller according to Item 7. The impeller according to claim 1, wherein the curved tip portion is at least partially formed by a circular arc having a radius in a range of 1.00 mm to 5.00 mm. 2. The impeller according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of vanes has an upper half and a lower half, the upper half and the lower half form a V shape, and the V shape opens in a rotation direction of the impeller. The V shape formed by the upper half and the lower half forms an inclination angle α with respect to the axial reference line, and the inclination angle α (R) at the base portion is the inclination angle α (T) at the tip portion. 11. Impeller according to claim 10, which is smaller. The impeller according to claim 11, wherein the inclination angle α (R) at the radially innermost point at the base portion is in a range of 20 ° to 30 °. The impeller according to claim 11, wherein the inclination angle α (T) at the radially outermost point at the tip portion is in a range of 30 ° to 40 °. The impeller according to claim 10, wherein the upper half and the lower half are perpendicular to a rotation axis of the impeller and are symmetric with respect to a virtual plane that divides each vane in half. 2. The impeller according to claim 1, wherein each of the vanes has a uniform vane thickness between the leading and following vane surfaces in the circumferential direction of the impeller. 2. The impeller according to claim 1, wherein each of the vanes has a side wall surface, a following vane surface, and a circular arc surface therebetween. The impeller according to claim 16 or 16, wherein the arc surface has a uniform radial thickness and extends in a radial direction between the hub outer surface and the inner ring surface. The impeller according to claim 1, wherein the ring-shaped band is an intermediate band of a multi-row vane impeller. The impeller according to claim 1, wherein the impeller is a multi-row vane impeller, and has a plurality of ring-shaped belt rings and a plurality of ring-shaped vane rows. With respect to the multiple-row vane row, the vanes of the inner vane row form a V shape determined by the first inclination angle, and the vanes of the outer vane row form a V shape determined by the second inclination angle, the first inclination angle The impeller according to claim 19, wherein is smaller than the second inclination angle. The impeller according to claim 1, wherein the fluid pump is a fuel pump used in a fuel supply system of an automobile. A turbine fluid pump impeller,
Have provided a circular hub, the hub having a hub outer surface having a projecting portion, the hub outer surface and the overhung portion are both extend around the outer periphery of the hub,
Have provided a ring shaped band wheel, the band wheel, generally has an inner ring surface extending around the inner periphery of the flat belt-wheel,
Have include a plurality of ring-shaped vane array, the hub and the band wheel and said vane row is is generally concentric, at least one of the vane array is positioned radially between the hub and the band wheel, At least one of the vane rows positioned radially between the hub and the band has a plurality of vanes and a plurality of vane pockets , and the vane pockets are formed between adjacent vanes; and
Each of the plurality of vanes is
An upper half and a lower half, the upper and lower halves forming a V shape, the V shape being open in the direction of rotation of the impeller;
A base extending generally in a first direction from the outer surface of the hub;
Having a tip extending from the outer end of the base to the inner ring surface;
The tip generally extends in a second direction; and
The first direction is on the rear side with respect to the second direction with respect to the direction of rotation of the impeller, and the point where the leading surface of the tip portion is coupled to the inner ring surface is that the leading surface of the base and the point The impeller according to claim 1, wherein the impeller has a certain angle β with respect to the direction of rotation of the impeller with respect to the point where it is coupled to the outer surface of the hub. The terms first direction rotation direction before hearing Npera, in the rear, it is the angle [psi, the impeller of claim 22 wherein the angle in the range of 15 ° from 5 °. With respect to the rotational direction of the second direction before heard Npera, in the front side, an angle, the angle is in the range from 10 ° to 25 °, the second direction is the curve of the curved distal portion The impeller according to claim 22, wherein the impeller is a tangent at a radially outermost point of a leading surface of the tip portion. The impeller according to claim 22, wherein the angle β is in the range of 0 ° to 5 °. 26. An impeller according to claim 25, wherein the angle [beta] is about 2 [deg.]. The overhanging portion forms upper and lower recesses in each of the vane pockets, and each of the upper and lower recesses is formed in each of the upper groove and the lower casing formed in the upper casing and acts together. The impeller according to claim 22. Each of the upper and upper grooves has a cross-sectional shape having first and second radial portions, and the first and second radial portions are arc-shaped and connected to each other via a flat portion. Item 27. The impeller according to Item 27. The impeller according to claim 22, wherein the tip portion is a curved portion, and the tip portion is open in a rotation direction of the impeller. 30. The impeller according to claim 29, wherein the curved tip portion is at least partially formed by a circular arc portion having a radius in the range of 1.00 mm to 5.00 mm. The V shape formed by the upper half and the lower half forms an inclination angle α with respect to the axial reference line, and the inclination angle α (R) at the base portion is the inclination angle α (T) at the tip portion. 23. An impeller according to claim 22, which is smaller. 32. The impeller according to claim 31, wherein the inclination angle α (R) at the radially innermost point at the base is in the range of 20 ° to 30 °. 32. The impeller according to claim 31, wherein the inclination angle α (T) at the radially outermost point at the tip is in the range of 30 ° to 40 °. 32. The impeller according to claim 31, wherein the upper half and the lower half are symmetric with respect to a virtual plane that divides each vane in half perpendicular to the rotation axis of the impeller. 23. The impeller according to claim 22, wherein each vane has a uniform vane thickness between the preceding and following vane surfaces in the circumferential direction of the impeller. The impeller according to claim 22, wherein each of the vanes has a side wall surface, a following vane surface, and a circular arc surface therebetween. 37. The impeller according to claim 36, wherein the circular arc surface has a uniform radial thickness and extends in a radial direction between the hub outer surface and the inner ring surface. The impeller according to claim 22, wherein the impeller is a multi-row vane impeller, and has a plurality of ring-shaped belt rings and a plurality of ring-shaped vane rows. With respect to the multiple-row vane row, the vanes of the inner vane row form a V shape determined by the first inclination angle, and the vanes of the outer vane row form a V shape determined by the second inclination angle, the first inclination angle The impeller according to claim 38, wherein is smaller than the second inclination angle. The impeller according to claim 22, wherein the fluid pump is a fuel pump used in an automobile fuel supply system. A single-stage multi-vane fluid pump impeller,
Comprising a circular hub, the hub having a hub outer surface with an overhang, the hub outer surface and the overhang extending together around an outer periphery of the hub;
A ring-shaped inner vane row, the vane row having a plurality of inner vanes and a plurality of inner vane pockets, the inner vane pockets being formed between adjacent inner vanes;
A ring-shaped intermediate band, the intermediate band having an inner ring surface and an outer ring surface, the outer ring surface having an overhang, the inner ring surface being generally flat and inside the intermediate band ring; Extending around the periphery, the outer ring surface and the overhang extending around the outer periphery of the midband,
A ring-shaped outer vane row, the outer vane row having a plurality of outer vanes and a plurality of outer vane pockets, the outer vane pockets being formed between adjacent outer vanes;
A ring-shaped outer ring, the outer ring having an inner ring surface, the inner ring surface being generally flat and extending around an inner peripheral edge of the outer band ring;
The hub, the inner vane row, the intermediate band, the outer vane row, and the outer band are generally concentric, the inner vane row is located radially between the hub and the intermediate ring, An outer vane row is located radially between the intermediate and outer belt rings, and the hub overhang extends partially radially into the inner vane pocket to form upper and lower inner vanes. Forming a pocket portion, and the overhanging portion of the midband extends partially radially into the outer vane pocket to form upper and lower outer vane pocket portions, the inner or outer vane pocket The impeller as described above, wherein the fluid in one of the above communicates between the upper and lower vane pocket portions without exiting the pocket. Each of the overhang portion of the hub and the overhang portion of the intermediate belt ring forms the upper and lower concave portions of the vane pockets of the inner and outer vane rows,
The upper recesses of the inner vane row act with outer grooves formed in the upper casing;
The upper recesses of the outer vane row act with outer grooves formed in the upper casing;
The lower recess of the inner vane row acts with an inner groove formed in the lower casing;
42. An impeller according to claim 41, wherein the lower recesses of the outer vane row act with outer grooves formed in the lower casing. Each of the upper and upper grooves of the upper and lower casings has a cross-sectional shape having first and second radial portions, and the first and second radial portions are arc-shaped and have a flat portion. 43. The impeller according to claim 42, connected to each other via each other. 43. The impeller according to claim 42, wherein an integrated cross section of the upper and lower inner grooves is smaller than an integrated cross section of the upper and lower outer grooves. 42. The impeller according to claim 41, wherein the fluid pump is a fuel pump used in an automobile fuel supply system. A turbine fuel pump assembly for use in an automotive fuel supply system,
A lower casing having a fuel inlet channel and a top surface;
An upper casing having a fuel outlet channel and a bottom surface;
An impeller cavity formed between the top surface and the bottom surface and leading to the fuel inlet passage and the fuel inlet passage;
An electric motor having a rotating shaft;
Have provided a working linked impeller to the shaft, the impeller rotates within the impeller cavity by rotation of said shaft,
The impeller,
Have provided a circular hub having a hub outer surface of said hub extending generally around its outer periphery,
Have provided a ring shaped band wheel has an inner ring surface generally extending around the inner periphery belt-wheel,
Have include a plurality of ring-shaped vane array, the hub and the band wheel and said vane row is is generally concentric, at least one of the vane array is positioned radially between the hub and the band wheel, The vane row has a plurality of vanes and a plurality of vane pockets, and the vane pockets are formed between the adjacent vanes;
Each of the plurality of vanes, said linear base from the hub outer surface extending in a first direction, have a curved tip portion extending inner ring surface and the outer end of the base portion, the tangent of the curve tip there extends in the second direction, and, above said one direction relative to said second direction, with respect to the rotation direction of the impeller, in the rear side, characterized in that there is a certain angle θ Pump assembly.

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